Chapter 42

Chapter 42

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Port Medea, Medea Island, Kalenic Sea

The Next Day

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Captain Eli Hart stood on the deck of his ship as it pulled into Port Medea once again. To think that he had once discovered this island. Mere months ago, it was utterly deserted, and now? Now it held a thriving port. The squat lighthouse situated above the dungeon made locating the island much easier for Eli earlier, before the break of dawn.

The other three ships docked here showed how valuable Medea was as a trading hub; merchants from both the western and eastern continents quickly added the island to their routes. It meant they wouldn't need to carry as much fresh water, or food, since they could replenish here. In turn, that meant they could ship more goods.

If his eyes were correct, the ship docked next to his was unloading a small herd of Cattle and a flock of sheep. He nodded, a wry grin on his face. Ishould have thought of that... he wondered. Livestock would have made a significant profit, though it would only be that profitable the first time.

"Gresh! I'm going ashore to make contact with my merchant friend. Get the cargo ashore, and make sure the count is right!" He shouted behind him as he strode down the gangplank.

He smiled to himself as he heard Gresh shouting after him. Something about how he was meant to be a navigator, not a midshipman. As he left the bustling docks and entered the town proper, he was struck by the differences since his last visit. The buildings looked sturdier; previously, flimsy wooden walls had been replaced with a slightly sparkling black cobbled stone. It turned out someone established a quarry on the island, where they extracted this black stone, shot through with glistening points.

He could see some walls going up around the manor on the hill, formed of large blocks of the same stone.

As he had the last time he was on the island, he passed through the market and listened to the local gossip. The biggest news was centered around the dungeon, as always. There were whispers that the local Guild had managed to reach the fifth floor, though the only ones who had yet managed that feat were... Them. Not just that, but They had lost three members down there. Three!

Once again, Eli mentally congratulated himself for not trying to push deeper into this dungeon when he'd found it. Walking into the first cavern had lost two capable deckhands and guards. If They couldn't even get past the fifth floor... With all their experience and power?

Eli shuddered. Thinking about how many floors it might have and how many monsters it contained sent a chill down his spine.

For the next half hour, Eli perused the market. He kept an ear out for news on the dungeon while checking out the treasures plundered from it. The animal skins, each a different, radiant hue, were particularly interesting to him. The fur was relatively soft and, as something taken from a dungeon monster, far sturdier than what a normal animal would produce. He knew that not all of these pelts would be sold whole like this. Some would be cured and turned into armor. Good armor if the proper enchantments were added.

The food and produce side of the market was much the same as before, though some of the fish hanging on display were genuinely ridiculous in size. He would have expected them to be dungeon monsters, but upon inquiry, he discovered that they had been pulled from the sea, off the reef surrounding the island's southern half.

Fascinating... The seagulls here also seemed... more considerable than those he remembered from other coastal cities. Is it the dungeon? Eli couldn't remember if animals outside of dungeons were capable of this...

He shook his head and moved off to meet his contact. Eli was sure that this trip would prove even more profitable than the last.

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Haythem Linus frowned to himself as he sipped at the imported spirit. This wasn't his usual tavern since it was on the other side of town from the dungeon. It catered more to the average population than the larger ones in the middle of town. He'd wanted some peace, though, away from the clamoring Golds who wanted tips and tricks, for him to 'reveal his secret.' He told them there was no secret, merely hard work. Most accepted that, though a few fools couldn't understand. Flasa and Bertram were taking their Platinum exams, so he didn't even have them to help fend off the persistent ones. Thus, the small bar no one would expect him to be using. That it seemed to stock a spirit he hadn't tried before was a bonus. "Distilled from potato, you say? I can't taste anything." The bartender nodded, watching him closely.

"Aye, from the northern territories. Not much grows there, but the potato is a hardy crop. There are rumors that the potatoes this spirit was grown from were found in a dungeon. They say the locals found it and started growing it outside when they saw that it could grow even in a foot of snow." The bartender revealed in a conspiratorial whisper. Haythem nodded. Yeah, that would do it. Dungeon Crops were hardy, even when grown outside dungeons. Though, to a lesser extent. There wasn't the mana density outside of dungeons to support the insane growth rates they could demonstrate.

"Well, I'd be careful if I was you. This doesn't taste like anything; if I didn't know better, I'd have mistaken it for mere water." Haythem answered. "Watch those who drink it. They'll get hammered on this more quickly than they're used to. Some might even die. Also, make sure to check your deliveries. Who knows if they'll start diluting their product and selling it as full-strength." The bartender nodded sagely, and his eyes narrowed in thought.

He opened his mouth to continue, but the door slammed open before he could get a word out.

"Monster! Wild Monster in the jungle!" The man who burst through the doorway was slick with sweat and panting. His eyes held a wild panic Haythem recognized. "Giant Snake! It's attacking the farms outside town, eating all the animals it can find!" Haythem finished his drink and stood. By the time he'd reached the door, the man, presumably a farmer, was gone. A glance showed he was running back into town, screaming warnings at the top of his lungs. He could see some other Guilders taking note.

He started sprinting out of town, the dirt road leading off towards the farmlands on the northern half of the island.

Very quickly, he found the problem.

As the man had claimed, there was indeed a giant snake. It was rampaging across the paddocks, crushing and swallowing whole some recently-shorn sheep. From the lumps running down Its length, it had already eaten at least six. He drew his sword and abruptly realized that he wasn't wearing armor. The snake realized he was there as his sword rang from its drawing. It hissed in his direction and drew its head high.

In seconds, its tail end was bunched up behind it in a mound of mottled green-and-brown scales. Haythem realized its body was as thick as a cow as it reared even higher, taller than the Inn he'd just left. The scales at the side of its head and down its neck flared sideways. The giant cobra's hood extended, and it seemed to triple the size of its head. The snake's open jaw was large enough to swallow him whole easily. He could only assume the six fangs on the upper and lower jaws were venom- Dodge!

Haythem rolled to the side as the snake struck the ground he'd stood on seconds ago. He swung, but the snake was already drawing back. He was only fast enough to nick its slit nostrils even at his current speed.

"Ha! Come again, beast! You couldn't hit a wounded Slacken if you tried!" He taunted. The words didn't matter since he knew it was more about the tone they were delivered in. The snake hissed at him again, the sound loud and angry.

The Snake struck again, but this time Haythem was ready. With a sidestep and swing, his sword embedded deeply into the snake's hood. When It jerked back in pain, he held on tight. The next thirty seconds were a blur as the snake shook him from side to side, writhing as it attempted to dislodge him. Gripping tightly with one hand, Haythem pulled a small dagger from its sheath at the small of his back with his other hand and plunged the silvery blade through the back of the monster's skull.

Unfortunately, his blade wasn't long enough to kill it in one blow. The snake hissed in pain again, and he could feel it was about to slam him to the ground. In two smooth movements, he pulled his sword from the snake's hood and plunged it back in, next to his dagger.

Suddenly, the snake went boneless and slumped forward. As the head approached the ground, Haythem planted his foot and jumped forward, eyes closed. He hit the ground with a roll, leading into a walk. Behind him, the head hit the ground with a loud thump, causing some minor shaking. Haythem opened his eyes to see the slack-jawed expressions of more than a dozen guilders. Their weapons were drawn and raised as if they'd been running to aid him.

He turned back to the snake, retrieved his sword and dagger, and then sat on the head. He looked out at the still dumb-struck guilders. "Can someone get a guild representative? I need to know if there's a bounty on this monster yet!"

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